Home audio & video forum: Questions: Digital TV signals from Cable vs. Satelite

A digital signal is the same as an analog signal. When it goes through their box to a standard TV, it's analog. Digital is a selling point for SD programming. Some may argue the picture quality, but on an SD TV you probably won't see any difference.

That's all. Or it also means secure digital in reference to a small memory card for digital cameras PDAs, MP3 players, etc.

A High Definition TV will take the 480 signal and upconvert or "add content" up to 720 or 1080 depending on the native resolution of the HD TV. When you add content, some TVs do it better than others. Some will look fuzzy and the resolution suffers. Most HD TVs suffer from mosquito noise and the screen door effect when trying to display an SD picture. I'll let you research (do a Google) these two terms. But in essence, to take full advantage of the newer TVs, you really need to get the proper input. I don't mean just a "digital" signal, I mean HD programming.

Find a good TV store and look around. I did for over two years and I bought the Sony SXRD. I used to sell all the HD TVs and after one look at the Sony, it was done. Even the DLP crowd agrees. The Sony looks like film.

I have DishNetwork. Why? I think it's the best.

But do yourself a favor. Forget the "digital" aspect and break it into two choices. SD or HD. Your choice.

Plasma ED TV will give you a 480-P DVD quality Picture with your digital signals and 480-I with your analog signals. Your 32 in.SD TV is creating a 350-I picture.
The screen door effect seen on large plasma TV's is present on all large tv's when you are closer than 6ft away from the screen. Plasma ED TV's are not HD but the will give you a high quality picture better than you can get on your SD TV.

Keep in mind that Plasma ED TV's and Plasma HD TV's are not the same. HD TV's require an HD signal to get HD (720-P) picture quality.

Hope this helps.

DTV is no good. I have time warner and the signal is fine in hd. Regular digital is ok but DTV digital is terrible. Plus you have to watch your bill with DTV. They try to rip you off. THere customer service is horrible. Go with local direct line cable. Its always better to go direct then wireless or satalite.

''If you have any more questions, just ask. john''

Thanks, John, don't mind if I do.

First, thanks to all who have responded. You've supplied me with a wealth of technical info, and I've gotten quite an education. The only problem is I'm not sure my most basic questions have been answered within all those tech specs. Maybe they have and I'm just slow, but I'm gonna relist my basics one more time, and see if anyone can just go line-by-line giving direct answers.

1. Is the signal supplied by the bigger cable providers (in my case, Time-Warner) in their ''digital cable'' packages DIFFERENT from their ''analog cable'' packages? I know I get far less channels, but is the actual SIGNAL different? Time Warner themselves say at least 70 of the 80 basic analog package channels are already ''digital sources'' anyway, and for what it's worth, even with my current ''analog'' package, when I switch from one of the few remaining analog channels to a digital one, the resolution improves dramatically even though my ''package'' is not a ''digital cable'' package. I actually have two ABC feeds, one a local analog affiliate and the other the national network feed. Switching between them shows a dramatic clarity improvement on the same show.

2. If I buy a big screen plasma or DLP TV (I'll probably get an HD model, just 'cause it's not that much more expensive than an ED model), but DON'T UPGRADE my cable package to a full ''digital package'' (which based on the answer to #1, could be different in NAME only), WILL I , OR WILL I NOT, see a significantly degraded image on the new TV. Some of your replies indicate it will still be an improvement over my tube image, though not as improved as it could be with HD signal, while the salemen at the big TV stores say it'll look awful, actually worse than my tube image.

3. Everything else you guys are telling me about an even BETTER image by going to cable-digital-HD packages, or possibly BETTER STILL by going satelite-digital-HD, is great info for the future, but for right now is a moot point, 'cause we only pay $13/mo. for our current basic analog cable, and we just can't afford a $50-$60/mo. package right now. You may ask, ''Then how can you afford a new $2500+ TV?'', but that part is through a gift, it's just the big cable monthlies that would hurt.

So try to answer those questions directly, if you can, and Thanks again everyone!

I have Time Warner Basic Cable service (72 analog channels). Upgrading to a Digital Service package only gives you more channels. The basic cable channels are still analog. If you get a new HD TV with an ATSC/QAM tuner (digital cable ready) you will get the same analog channels you've always received and they will be upgraded in resolution to whatever the native resolution of your new TV (usually 720p, 1080i, or even 1080p). In addition you will receive all digital channels that your cable company transmits "in-the-clear" (unencrypted or unscrambled). Depending on your location, it is very possible that your cable company transmits local HD and SD digital stations unencrypted over the cable coming into your house. I'm just like you. I don't want to upgrade to the TWC digital service, because it's just more crappy channels. I don't want more channels. I want more resolution. I still subscribe to the TWC basic service and I receive 15 local broadcast digital stations over the same cable with my QAM tuner. Six of those are HD. TWC enters into retransmission agreements with your local broadcast TV stations and many times carrying the digital HD and/or SD subchannels is required. But TWC won't tell you that. They are only interested is getting you to upgrade and rent their lousy set top boxes. Whoever told you that most of their basic service is digital anyway is just trying to get you to upgrade service. Your basic service is all analog, and they would still be analog even if you upgraded to "digital" service. They have to be analog or otherwise all the people with analog TVs and analog tuners couldn't get them. Only the additional channels in their digital tiers are transmitted digitally, thus requiring a digital tuner or set top box to receive them. My basic cable service looks very much improved on my HDTV (1080p native resolution) than on my analog TVs. And the HD that the QAM tuner picks up is incredible. The only hitch is, since TWC is very secretive about this, you may need to contact your local TV stations that broadcast digital signals to find out what subchannel their signal is carried by TWC. I was lucky and got all 15 of my local station subchannels from the chief engineer at one of the stations. I would definitely recommend getting a digtal HDTV with a QAM (digital cable ready) tuner, and keeping your basic cable service.

BLA BLA BLA STOP dont bother buying a hi-def t.v. unless you are going TO FEED IT. Please just upgrade your cable or satellite system to a hi-def system and add the hi-def package which is usually very cheap add a h.d.m.i. cable and enjoy By the way cable sucks go dish network or direct t.v with a dish system you can throw up an outside antenna and receive your locals in hi-def Also the hi-def box will feed your 5.1. sound system dont be so cheap.forget digital it means nothing just adds more bells and whistles stew

I have cable TV. I work a lot of weekends and nights so I record quite a bit.
All old stuff, no cable box, VHS recorders and a handful of splitters that allow me to record several broadcasts at the same time.
How, as the cable company slowly converts to digital, can I maintain this flexibility? I mean, what are the options? Several DVRs, a DAC,what is available and will work other than TiVo and/or using the cable box offered by the cable company? Cable boxes appear to be a terrible limitation on the kind of recording I've been able to do for years. Literally, I'm used to being able to record 3 sporting events all on at the same time.
Thanks for any help or suggestions.
It's pretty much all new stuff to me.

If you took the plunge and why not? quality hi-def t.vs are at such cheap prices right now that anyone could afford one Then upgrade you time warner unit to a hi-def box +add the hi-def service Then brlieve me you wouild watch a lot of t.v. WHY The hi-def programming is quality programming well worth watching Discovery h-d theater alone is breathtaking T.N.t. hdnet, h,d net movies espn Also if you switched to the Dish network for $15.00 extra per month you will get the hi-def package and VOOM and with the dish system you can throw up an outside antenna and receive your local over the air channels in hi-def. At least your in c.net so you can at least get some informationIT SEEMS YOU HAVE A LOT OF HOMEWORK TO DO good luck steweeee

I have had the Dish 811 for 3 years and never a problem best picture and sound PERIOD. Well last had problems with umit I called customer service and we tried all the tests over the phone no help anyway Dish sent me a new replacement in 3 day free Al i had to pay was shipping. Sunrise Eart ios awsome but check out the 1/2 hour show on h.d. net NOTHING BUT TRAILERS EYE POPPING sorry for bad spelling jusy got out of bed stew

It's my understanding that they encrypt the digital signals for 'cable' channels - now I don't mind if they encrypt HBO, but they shouldn't scramble the standard stations like Discovery, ESPN, etc if they come on the standard digital package. They also want you to have to rent the box so that they can upsell you with PPV, etc. I'm thinking of buying a small QAM tuner TV just to see what I'd get w/o the box!